Motor vehicle sun visors typically include a pivot arm by which the visor is pivotally attached to an outer (with respect to the center line of the vehicle's interior) mounting bracket, and a catch by which the visor may be removably secured to a center mounting bracket. The pivot arm allows the visor to pivot downwardly from a stowed position against the vehicle headliner to a lowered, use position against the windshield. By releasing the catch, the visor can be disengaged from the center bracket, and the visor can be rotated with the pivot arm to cover a side window if the sun is entering the vehicle from the side. When the visor is no longer needed, it can be rotated back to a stored position, and reattached to the center bracket by the catch.
Such a catch must provide positive visor retention to the center bracket for storage of the visor against the headliner, and for use of the visor in the lowered position. In addition, the catch must provide easy disengagement of the visor from the center bracket for positioning the visor against the vehicle side window, and easy reengagement with the bracket for return to the stored position.
One known means of achieving such ease of engagement and disengagement is to provide the catch with a freely rotatable, cylindrical sleeve at the upper edge of the visor, the sleeve being supported along its center axis by a fixed shaft. The sleeve is freely rotatable about the shaft, whereby the sleeve acts as a roller bearing, requiring minimal force to engage with, and disengage from, a clip on the center bracket. Sun visors employing this catch configuration require less effort to engage with and disengage from the mounting bracket than is required with other catches, and therefore, minimizes operator distraction during normal use of the visor.
Prior art catches which employ such a cylindrical sleeve and shaft arrangement are generally incompatible with known assembly techniques for current high quality sun visors of refined appearance. Such sun visors typically comprise a rigid core covered with upholstery material aesthetically compatible with various vehicle interior fabrics. The catch is usually assembled to the core prior to covering and, unless particularly adapted to the visor in which it is used, can contribute significantly to the cost of assembling the visor.